Veterinary Services

JENNY's story

Meet Jenny, a four-year-old Jack Russell Terrier cross. Jenny came to us after her health mysteriously started to deteriorate extremely quickly.

Jenny’s owner became concerned when she appeared down and out of sorts. As Jenny had recently had puppies, her vet initially considered this to be hormonal.

However her condition worsened to the point where she could barely move and wouldn’t eat or drink. Jenny’s vet performed an ultrasound to see if she might have an intestinal blockage, however they could find nothing wrong and she was referred to the AHT.

Jenny was immediately hospitalised and placed on a drip. Following an MRI scan and spinal tap, as well as blood tests for infection, Jenny was diagnosed with a very serious condition - a focal lesion on her brain stem (meningoencephalomyelitis), a fatal disease if left untreated.

Daniel Sanchez-Masian, one of our neurologists, prescribed a combined treatment of a cytotoxic cancer drug, cytarabrine, and a steroid, prednisolone. Jenny had her first course of treatment over two days and made an almost immediate recovery.

Jenny’s owner Susie Peachey said: “When we took Jenny to the AHT she was an incredibly sickly little thing, shaking all of the time and barely able to move properly. After treatment, the change in her was miraculous!

“She is a completely different dog, running around, chasing things again like nothing had ever happened. I can’t thank the AHT enough for making Jenny better.”

The treatment Jenny received here at the AHT saved her life, but unfortunately she is not cured from her disease. She will continue to need treatment periodically for the rest of her life.

The Animal Health Trust is a veterinary charity, based in Suffolk, which offers clinical referral services and diagnostic testing for horses, dogs and cats in East Anglia, across the UK and internationally. Through its research programmes it develops new diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines to help thousands of animals.